Pregnant Kate Middleton’s Hospital Stay: All About the Birthing Suite

Kate Middleton likes to break with royal protocol in some ways, but as for where she’s delivering the royal baby (she's currently in labor!), she’s sticking with tradition. The duchess is giving birth to the crown prince or princess in the very same maternity facility where her husband was born, all the way back in 1982.

The Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s hospital is the same place where Princess Diana delivered Prince William and Prince Harry, but it’s of course kept up with the times. According to the hospital's official website, St. Mary's is a "general acute hospital that diagnoses and treats a range of adult and pediatric conditions." The maternity facility is a longtime favorite of the royal family. Cousins of William and Harry — Peter and Zara Phillips — were born there, as well as several other royals.

Although the duchess is reportedly having a natural birth, opting out of a cesarean section, things are the opposite of rustic for her. The two-room, deluxe luxury suite in the Lindo Wing includes a satellite TV, a radio, a safe (for those crown jewels?), Internet access, and a fridge. A dedicated hotel services team provides an extensive and nutritious menu, catering to each individual's dietary requirements and desires. If new parents wish to toast their baby’s arrival, a comprehensive wine list is provided. Patients also have their choice of a daily paper each morning. It should be amusing for the royal couple to read the tabloids’ reports about the birth.

According to newspaper The Guardian, a room in the Lindo Suite requires a £5,500 deposit (which is around $8,600) for a “regular delivery” package. Consultants' fees are extra, and £1,000 ($1,560) is the cost for each additional day’s stay. The Daily Mail estimates Kate's entire hospital stay could end up costing around £10,000 ($15,659).

According to the website, the Lindo Wing assures patients "total peace of mind" based on their expert team of obstetric, neonatal, and anesthetist care professionals. Dr. Marcus Setchell, Queen Elizabeth II’s former gynecologist, and Dr. Alan Farthing, the queen’s current gynecologist and surgeon, are the doctors in charge.